Sharing Our Work at CESB: First Nation Data Sovereignty in Action
August 2025
The Mamow team had the opportunity to co-present alongside our friends from the Indigenous Partnerships, Data and Analytics Department at ICES and the Minomathasowin Healthy Living Department at the Weeneebayko Area Health Authority (WAHA) during the Canadian Society for Epidemiology and Biostatistics conference in Montreal, held from August 11 to 13.
This was an excellent opportunity to highlight First Nations Data Sovereignty in action to a largely non-Indigenous audience. As more non-Indigenous researchers and organizations engage with First Nations communities, it is essential that they understand and adhere to First Nations Data Sovereignty principles, principles of OCAP®, and respect community-led governance structures.
Our presentation explored practical approaches to building respectful partnerships, emphasizing meaningful community engagement and the importance of consultation, consent, and ongoing collaboration. For the presentation, we examined First Nations Data Sovereignty across multiple levels: the macro level (ICES), the meso level (Mamow Ahyamowen), and the micro level (WAHA). Finally, we brought all the levels together and explored the work from an epidemiologist’s perspective, showing how each piece contributes to a bigger picture of First Nations Data Sovereignty.
Chi-Miigwech to ICES and WAHA for co-presenting with us. We always welcome the opportunity to share our work.